


All I Ask

by Khris (KhrisKelley), KhrisKelley



Series: These are the Voyages [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Relationship(s), Polyamory, Slow Burn, chapel is agender, janice rand is a demigirl, loss of a loved one, nyota uhura is trans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-03-31 14:16:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3981166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KhrisKelley/pseuds/Khris, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KhrisKelley/pseuds/KhrisKelley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A scientist abandons its career to search for its fiancee. What it finds may be more than it bargained for.</p><p>~Quick note~<br/>Just a fair warning, I headcanon Christine Chapel as agender (it/itself pronouns), Nyota Uhura as a trans woman (she/her), and Janice Rand as a demigirl (fae/faerself). I apologize for any confusion the pronouns may cause, but trans characters are so worth it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When One Door Closes...

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic that I abandoned a long time ago. I decided to pick it back up because I still love this idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 10/28/2017  
> I wanted to come back to this work and see if I could finish it.

"Damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!"

Christine Chapel yells into the silence of its New England home. It gets up, flexes its fists, paces three quick steps into the living room, turns, paces back. It doesn't know what to do with its hands.

It feels tears forming and tries to hold them back. It presses the heels of its hands into its eyes, but there's no use. The ordeal is over. Chapel doesn't have to be strong or combative anymore.

All the fight drains out of Chapel as it collapses on the floor, sobbing out all the pent-up tension, worry, & stress of the last month in one loud, gasping cry. Its body shakes and it weeps until its head begins to hurt.

Chapel was a biologist, plain and simple. It loved to study the inner workings of living things, learning what kept the beings alive, why they got sick, & how to cure potential diseases using DNA from other creatures. The DNA was really Chapel's favorite part. It could spend hours in a lab studying, testing, & cross-referencing DNA with the sole purpose of bettering life.

Chapel's fiancee, Roger Korby, was more of a philosopher than a scientist. His work included papers on "The Birth of the Human Spirit" and "The Past as Blueprint for the Future". He had been a professor at the prestigious Madrasat Al'Ahya'* in Saudi Arabia.

The two had grown close, sharing a love of biology and a desire to see diseases cured. They had stayed close even as Chapel had moved on to have a successful career in bio-research. Roger had proposed to Chapel just two months ago. Their wedding was going to be on Risa.

Now, the hopes and plans were gone. Roger had gone to a relatively unknown planet called Exo III. Things had gone well, for awhile. Roger had sent a communiqé to Chapel every day detailing his "exciting" and "enthralling" discoveries, saying that he may indeed have found "the cure for every disease".

Then, everything went silent. Roger's last message had been on September 18. Two days later, when Chapel had grown worried, someone had pulled a few strings to get a long-range scan of the planet. They couldn't locate his signal, and when the planet was scanned for life signs, none were discovered. Roger, Chapel's Roger, was given up on and declared dead a month after he disappeared.

Chapel sits up and dries its face. It refuses to give up on Roger. He could still very well be alive, somewhere in the "labyrinthine tunnels" he talked about. There are rumors of a deep-space exploratory mission that would explore the part of space where Exo III was located. Chapel's background in bio-medicine might qualify it for a position somewhere on that ship.

It blows its nose one more time and gets moving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * = School of Biology  
> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it, I'd be honored if you left kudos or a comment!


	2. ...Another Opens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entry into Starfleet isn't as easy as Chapel thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 10/18/2017

"What do you mean, I 'can't'? I'm as qualified as anyone you've got to fill this kind of position." Christine Chapel is livid. It's been told over and over again that DESPITE its reputation as an excellent biologist, it won't be securing a position on that deep-space vessel, the Enterprise.

Captain Aval zh'Zathre has light blue skin, curling antennae, and a pointed chin, which accentuate her angled haircut. "I mean, it's not a good time for you to make major decisions right now --"

"And just WHY is that?"

"Well, you just experienced a great loss, and -- "

"And I want to experience a great find, as well."

Zh'Zathre sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "You do realize that even if you abandon your current career and take a position on a deep space vessel, you still may never find your husband?"

Chapel straightens its shoulders and takes a deep breath. "Yes, I do. But if there's even a chance that I might find Roger again, I'll take it."

"You may not see home again for a very long time."

"Oh, please. Home is where the heart is, and my heart is with Roger Korby. He's quite possibly dead or dying, and I need to see that either him or his remains are given the proper care. Now, will you accept my application or not?"

"I still think you're making a mistake, but yes. I'll take the application. In return, I'm sending you four years' worth of condensed Starfleet training. You'll have to finish all the exams before I let you within 200 meters of a starship so you aren't completely shocked once you get on."

Chapel smiles in relief. "Yes, ma'am."

~

Chapel sits in its bedroom, glaring in utter bewilderment at an exam question. "What is Step 4 in First Contact procedure?" It was sure that the "steps" hadn't been numbered, yet here was a question thereon. Chapel flags the question and moves on.

The process of admission hadn't been nearly as easy as Chapel had hoped. It had thought that because of its background in biological research, Starfleet would be more than willing to accept it and place it somewhere it could be useful.

It had never been more wrong. Oh, sure, Captain Zh'Zathre notwithstanding, Starfleet was happy to have another science officer. They could guarantee Chapel that it would get a good job that was well-suited to its field. However, if Chapel wanted a guaranteed spot on a deep-space vessel, it would have to be willing to accept a post in either medical or command in addition to science.

Chapel sighs and looks at the question. "What number..." it mutters to itself, tapping the corner of its mouth with the tip of its stylus. "What number... OH! I remember now!" While the First Contact procedure had not been enumerated, the study guide had broken it down into five parts. Chapel rolls its eyes in relief. It had read the study guide. It knows this. "Step 4: meet via video conference and discuss possible landing scenarios."

Chapel turns in the exam and closes the window on its PADD. It leans back in its chair and smiles nervously at the sunroof. "Soon," it promises the clouds. "I'll come for you soon. Just hang on."

~

Chapel stares at its assignment. "The Enterprise... As a nurse?" Chapel has no nursing experience whatsoever. Sure, it has a knack for "soothing the savage", as Roger would say, but it really doesn't enjoy sitting by the bedside of the dying, changing bandages, or cleaning bloody uniforms.

Yes, its career was in disease prevention. Yes, it sees sickness every day. The difference is, those sicknesses are just faceless strands of biological coding. They can be understood, combated. Actual sick people, on the other hand, are nearly overwhelming in their constant neediness.

Well, it had made its choice. It would take the assignment and pray that they flew near Exo III.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aval Zh'Zathre is a name for a female Andorian.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it, I'd be honored if you left kudos or a comment <3


	3. A Chace Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated 10/18/2017

There's no doubt in Chapel's mind, nursing is not its thing. It just doesn't get the same kind of satisfaction out of the menial tasks of "Nurse, hand me my hypo," or "Nurse, page Dr. So-and-so, who can help." As if it couldn't. Chapel hated being treated as second-rate, even inferior.

Part of the problem is the Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Leonard McCoy is gruff, isolated, and apparently has a long-term relationship going with whatever bottle of unreplicated liquor he happens to have that day. He barks at everyone, and the way he treats that one Vulcan in particular is especially nasty. Chapel wonders what the First Officer could've ever done to illicit such dislike.

Well, it can complain all it likes, but it has to take a tissue sample down to the lab. Some lieutenant named Sulu had messed around with a new plant from some faraway planet and gotten his hand burned. The dermal regenerator hadn't had any effect. Chapel wants to stay with the research team, but it has another "project" waiting for it back in Sick Bay.

It does indulge itself in one long look at the research team, at all of them doing what they love, what IT loves. There's just no good reason for it to be stuck looking at biobeds and the back of McCoy's head day in and day out when it would be of more service in a lab somewhere.

Chapel sighs again.

~

Chapel sits at a table in the mess hall, back straight and eyes on nothing but its food. This was how it had eaten every meal since coming aboard two weeks ago.

Chapel would have eaten its meals in its quarters, but crew members weren't allowed personal replicators. So it sits in solitude and silence, wishing for the companionship of the research team but feeling as though it isn't entitled to such a luxury.

It finishes off the last of yet another tasteless meal, disposes of its tray, and returns to sickbay. As it walks through the doors, it nearly collides with one of the bridge officers, a lieutenant by the looks of it. "Pardon you!" Chapel exclaims.

A couple of inches shorter than Chapel, the lieutenant looks at it with clear brown eyes. The lieutenant's skin is glowing & healthy, all the teeth are still present (from what Chapel can see, anyway), and the hair is strong and shining. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

Already in a bad mood, Chapel replies, "Well, maybe you should watch where you're going."

The lieutenant's eyes widen in surprise, and something else. Hurt, maybe, or just offence. "I'm sorry, but would you care to amend your tone, crewman?" Comes the soft but firm reply, which suggests heavily that Chapel should indeed "mend" its tone.

Chapel is so sick of being talked down to. It had been the head if its department. People had asked it for permission to do something. It had been respected, heeded, even feared by some. Chapel does not care to amend its tone. It doesn't care whether this high-and-mighty lieutenant is offended by its presence.

It does care about finding Roger. 'Don't do anything to jeopardize your place here', a voice inside warns. It realizes that any further rudeness to this officer might just get it kicked off the ship. It's composes itself and tries again. "You are excused, Sir."

The lieutenant gives Chapel a long look. "Thank you. Nurse, I understand that you're used to being in charge, but here there are protocols. Just... be careful, and don't pull a stunt like that toward a superior officer again. Are we clear?" The lieutenant's voice was a smooth soprano, controlled and direct.

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"Good. Dismissed."

Once the officer leaves, Chapel allows itself a huff of disgust. "Dismissed". As though Chapel had asked to be lectured by some holier-than-thou Starfleet uniform. As though it had run in to the lieutenant.

'Remember why you're doing this,' reminds the voice. Roger's face flashes before Chapel's eyes, that face with all its kindness and moderation. Chapel squares its shoulders. It can survive. For him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed it, I'd be honored if you left kudos or a comment <3

**Author's Note:**

> If you have ideas for fics you want to see, shoot me a message! I'll be happy to see what I can do <3


End file.
